Mother Sues Teacher for Stealing Son’s Lunch Money

When Baltimore mom Lynsai Green found out her second-grader had a negative balance with the school cafeteria, she was confused — until her son told her one of his teachers was routinely stealing his lunch money.

In a lawsuit Green filed against teacher Marcelius Lockes, Gwynn Falls Elementary School, the Baltimore School Board and the city’s mayor, she claims Lockes fines her special-education pupils 25 cents every time they act up in class, which the teacher then uses to buy herself sodas.

The suit also says Lockes “uses physical discipline” with the students, pushing the kids and yanking them up by the necks of their shirts.

In addition, Green claims Lockes “has exhibited inappropriate behavior in the past in her class and in front of her students. She has referred to herself as being a ‘She-Ra’ or that the ‘devil’ was coming out of her during her discipline of the children.”

While Green only owes the cafeteria $1.20 for her son’s unpaid lunches, she’s suing for $200,000, claiming she’s had to spend money on tutoring and psychological counseling and that Lockes violated the school board’s prohibition of corporal punishment. Her suit seeks damages for charges including negligence, assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.